1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to concrete products and more particularly to a method for creating an architectural concrete surface using prescribed amounts of fine sand and aggregate, which enables the architectural concrete surface to be formed without the use of a surface retarder.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known in the building and construction trade, concrete is extensively utilized as a building material for several different industrial, commercial and residential applications. Along these lines, due to its durability, water resistance, and cost economy, concrete has gained widespread use. With this widespread use, the public is currently demanding variations in color, surface texture and overall appearance of concrete so that the concrete possesses improved aesthetics similar to more conventional and costly surfaces such as stone, mosaic, and terrazzo.
In order to meet this demand, the concrete trade has developed various coloring and surface finishing techniques to enhance the aesthetics of concrete. Examples of such finishing techniques include salt finish, multiple broom finish, form press finish (e.g. stamped concrete), and exposed aggregate finish. A more detailed description of conventional coloring and finishing techniques may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,322,772 and 7,607,859, which owned by Lithocrete, Inc., the owner of the present application, and the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Although conventional coloring and surface finishing techniques produce concrete having desired aesthetic characteristics, such conventional techniques oftentimes require extended periods of time to complete the formation process. Furthermore, the extended formation time and the various materials required for such conventional coloring and surface finishing techniques undesirably adds to the overall expense of the concrete product.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for method of forming a concrete product in a quicker and more cost effective manner, while at the same time maintaining the quality of conventional concrete products. Various aspects of the present invention are directed toward addressing this particular need, as will be discussed in more detail below.